Shook-sorting machine



April 12,1927.

J. N. BRATTON ET AL sHooK' son'rING MACHINE Filed May 17. 192e s sheets-sheet 1 April .12, 1927. A

J. N..BRATTON ET AL sHo'oK soRTING MACHINE Filed May 1 7. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Apr. 12, 1927. j a l l524,381l y:' kUllllil'l *STATES @FF-ICE.

JOHN NgBRA'r'roNANn WALTER 1t. BRYANT; or ycrassa CITY; VIRGINIA. L

SI-IOK-'SURTING -MACllll.

U Application filed May 17,1926. Serial No. 109,580.

"r lThis invention relates 'to new and luseful vals. It will befnoted. that the lower :lap improvementsl n'sortinfg machines, and par- 1 oft-he carrier 4chain moves-in aaplane just. ".ticularl'y tomachines for sorting looX shocks. above the upper edge ofthe Vertical ywing Ivi:O11e"0bject'O'theinVentiOn' is to provide oi' the'lowermost angle rail1/l,fwhile the 60 rlamachne bjymeansofwhich-box` shocks-of upper lap 'moves in a plane .immediately varying:widthsl are properlysorted, accordabove; .the upper edge of the ra112, So that ing 'to their wdths,and-deposited invconthe 'lugs 18`project outwardly Vbeyond said ta'ne'rs. edge' for. engagement with-theshookswhich Acnothersobjectzis to provide a .novelx'a'nd slideualong onathefhorizontalwings of the 65 improved-means forfautomatically ejecting f rails 12 and-'14,;as -Vwilrlfbevexplained more llike sizes'offsho'oks .rom-the'urnachine.4 clearly hereina-fterw Asclearly seen in the f AnotherfolojectYV sffto providea machine sectional 'v5-View, Figure.3,.the1vchain, anglel Whereinfth'ose shocks "which: have passed YFails', and thepartsto.. helatergdescribed, fromone end of: the machine to the' other are. duplicatedat: the other side' of the mawithouthaving' lb'eenf ejected, are returned chine, whereby Sl100kS-are= Simultaneously 'past a' series" of ejectors which resort Isuch 'lied onboth sides.-o.ithepmachine..` On the shooksuintermediate portion of the shaft 16, of the A further object" isito provide vnovel sprocket .wheeler-at one.end.ofthe machine,

'means tortmaintaining the shocks n-c011- there is mounted ay heltrwlieel 19, which re- 75 tact with the carrier', andror;y guiding such `oeives power `from any' suitable .Source by -sho'oksto the ejectors.' means-@idw belt 20- Other objects and advantages ywill be ap- Mounted vonthe'horizontalwing of the parentffromthe following' description when M1113 are the brackets 2.1, .and secured to taken in connectionfwithi'theaccompany-ing M011 bracket, and 'depending to a point d1- 80 drmving5;rv p rectly outwardly of the.'K lower rlap of the In, the' drawings; chain, is an arm'fi22, a-.horizontal spring Figure `1,- is@ Sideffelevatimyofia Shook 'ngerfQqheln-g secured-.tothe lowerend of sorting.'- machine made-n accordance with "the armv for lnwardpressmg engagement -fthezinvention with the -outer wider y:tace-'fof a hoxshook, 85 3 Fgurggis n.end View :of the Same, y tohold the' Eshoolragainsti the chain. `Also Figureis a'vertical transverse sectional 'SGCUl'ed tOrfChe Said. bfaket 2l 1S@ Spring view on the-line 3;'3 :of Figure 1. 1 arm 24 .Whlh extend-S1downwardlyfor @.11-

AFigure 1 Visa vertical transverse sectional gagement Wlththe UPPQF 901g@ 0f hehook 1 View; 0n the line of Figure 1. f to hold the same ont-he horizontal wing of 90 J VVVFigur@ 5 is L horizontal;yfraglnentaryseg the: lOWGI )321,11 14. WlllhefllOlGd that/ lille .tional View on @helling 57.2 5'0f Figur@ -17 arms 22 are .so spaced apart thatagtravehng lokn-g.;downwardly l v shook will, while being-` engaged, ,by one v Figure 6 is a-plan Viewv of party of the 'flgelgu Gklggbnwth'tll@ HGX ddJlCIlt feeding mechmsrm f linger 23, sothat ,there w1llfhe,..no danger 95 4Q Referringpartieularlyi'to *the .accompany- '0fthe ShOOlf PGCldGlt'llyfal-llllgflOD the 'ingdr'awingsylO represent suitable supports 111,11 14- It Wlll bg notd that @he ,Vel'tlll #to which are connected .-thewlongitudinal W'lllg'ofthe rallylo extends: cloXADWa-ldly t0 angierraiisn, 12` 13, and. 111.` The rails wlthm when chst-ane@ qbvwtheuppelieds@ 1-1 and 13 havngfthe horizontal wings di- @filthVGFtlCl-Wmgfol h? lDWG/l" Fmlult: 100 rectedinward-ly toward the center ofthe Wlththg 1" @Suit thltllll@ SPM@ he1`bY1l -fmachfine, whilethe rails 12 and -14 have-"PTOVldGSa Slot extend-lng tlll`f0llglt1he length their horizontal wings directed outwardly," Offl'fhellachlHB-.Caflelbylhe 13115 13 md vas clearly seendnHth'e-y transverse sectional 14, mtemedlathe llllSQ; MQbCal'mgS 25, -view Figure 3. 'Mounted -on the ends of the a-,Dd mounted H11 theefbea-flngs (lf'. the-Iver' 105 machine, and-extended therefrom, v'are the'10&lrock Shaft' Gaulle-d by @5T/h .0i the brackets- '15,y in `which are'rsupportedf the Shafts @Granit ldlllstll@longltlldlllauy 21S i sprocl'retwheels- '16. llngagedy around these Welles rotatably thereom-.are .thecam memv S rocket Whe'els'y fand'. extending thrughout 13ers gland 28,1116 latter ioflilolnplay Withtelength -`lot` thef-machinafisthe endlessf yin the slot between the .railsl and 14e, while 110 'carrierch'ailirfl' said'ehain havngrthezshook f the former move through longitudinal slots engagi'nglugsy lyfat regularly saacedintermQQ .termed in the 1-'erticalfwingof the rail lll 13. The nose 27 ot the cam 2T normally projects beyond the outer tace of the chain, and in the path ot the traveling shocks, :tor engagement by a shook et suilicient height, which will cause the cam members to be swung outwardly and the shook to follow therewith. This movement of the cani member 2T causes the shaft 2G to rock with the result that the other cam member S28 will swing outwardly and engage the inner wider :Face oi the shook, adjacent its lower edge, so that the shook is moved Afrom its seat on the rail 'l-il, and permitted io l'all into a suitable hin or reeeynzarle 30 directly tlierebeneath. ln this commotion it will he noted that there is a bin or receptacle beneath each of the shafts 2li. lor receiving incertain width ot shook which has been kiekedtrom the "rail ist by a cam member 28. Each oi the cani members 2T and t28 is adjustable by means oi a screw 3l. lllncircling the lower end portion oi each shaft Q6 is a coil spring 32, one end being se cured to the shaft and the other end being secured to the rail 1+i.. tor yieldably holding` the shaft in normal retracted position, so that the nose of the kicker cam 2S is disposed inwardly ot the wing oi the rail 13.

Secured to the outer tace of the sprocket wheel at the end oi the machine which carries the driving pulley 19, is a beveled-edge disk 33, and disposed on the shaft 16', outwardly of this disk is a second disk 3e, the same being spaced from the lirst disk, but urged in the direction thereol by the coil spring 35. The peripheral edge of the disk 34 is also beveled, in the opposite direction to that ot the lirst disk whereby to permit easy passage therebetween of' a shook. It will benoted that the end ot the horizontal wing of the rail 12, adjacent the sprocket wheel above-mentioned. is turned down wardly, at 36, so that the shook, which has been gripped between the disks 3) and 234-, and carried around by the sprocket, will readily ride onto the said wing ot the rail, to be carried alongthe machine in the direction ot the hopper, which will be later described.

The arms the shafts 2t?, and the cam members 2T and :28 carried thereby, are sinn ilarlyniounted on the upper rails l1 and tor action upon the shocks whicl'i have passed the said members, while traveling along the lower lap ot the chain, and have been carried around by the disks "9 and Zet.

Mounted on the end of the machine, remote from the disks 33 and 3i, is a double hopper 3T, in which the shooks are placed so that they present their wider side faces toward the carrier chain. The forward end ol? the hopper is inclined rearwardly and outwardly from the side oi the machine, and forming the bottom oil3 the hopper are the rollers 25S, which extend at right angles to the said inclined end of the hopper. Ou these rollers the said shooks rest, and slide toward the chain. hlovable beneath the hopper adjacent the chain, and in line with tie lower shook supporting rail l-t. is a toed chain 39. which has the lugs l0 for engaging the adjacent shook to more the saine forwardly, out ot the hopper, and into position to be engaged by a lug of the car rier chain 17, and sliding n'ioveinent on the rail 14;. Extending longitudinally olf the upper and lower portions oi the. machine 'trame are the rails or tracks fil, on which the lapsl of the carrier (,-hain '117 are arranged to slide, certain o l` the links olil said chain being provided with depending parallel flanges for striuldling said rails or tracks, to properly guide the chain.

lt will be understood. that the hopper is so constructed that a shook is automatically 'ted to each side ot the machine at the sa me time, whereby such .ebooks are sortei'l in pairs.

'lhe spacingl ot the drag lugs per ieed chain are such that each lng placesl a shook on the lower rail lit, and passes ont oi. engagement: therewith' just `prior to the engagement ot the shook by a lugl of the rarrier chainl. rllhe lirst of the shook grip ping' arms 2L is so spaced trom the hopper that it engages and holds the shookbe'lore being released by the carrier chain, thus providing tor the proper retention ot the shook in engagement with the carrier chain. The shook is carried along the rail by the chain 1T until a cam member 27 reached which is su'lliciently low to Vbe engaged by the shook, whereupon said shook presses the cam to such an extent that the cani swings outwardly away trom the side ot the machine, together `with the advanced end o'l the shook. This swinging movement ol the cani rocks the shalt 2G, with the resultpthat the other cam member 2S is swung outwardly to push against the lower portion olf the advanced end ot the shook. The incline olf the nose ot the cam member 2T is such that [he advanced end ot the shook will properly slide out 'ardly lhereironi, when naid cani be brought to a stop by engagement with the, adjacent end wall ot the slot 129. The spring causes the return ot the cam members to normal position after the shook has been jeeted trom the rail ptt, `and permitted to tall into its proper rereplncle or bin. lllhe return swinging morenuuit oi' the-cam 1uon1 bers is limited by the engagement ol" the rear side ot the nose i7', oi" the cam 2T, with the :uljacent end Vall olf the slot 30. This permits said nose to project through the slot 3) io a sutiicient distance to be proj'ierly engaged by the advanced end oit a shook, while the nose ot the cam member 2S is disposed out of the path ot the said end ot the shook, so that it can proliierly engage with the inner wider :i'ace of the shook, aller the cam inem ot the hop;

` ber has been lrocked to bringthis-cam4 mem-4 ber lthroughl the space or slot-betweelrthe- Irails 13- and 1d. the shooklis. too narrow to have engaged ,any of the cam members 27,.

.by the carrier chain, and carried around the throughout the-entire length ofithe machine, and has successfully passed thelast, ory lowest of them,the shook is extended intogripping engagement with'the: disksy 33 and rf-f,

sprocket wheel to be delivered ontotheupper lap of the chain, being engaged by a drag lug thereof, and moved along the upper rail 12, vin the direction of the hopper end of the machine. The shook passes retaining arms 22, and cam members 27 and 2S, on the upper portion of the machine, and if too small to engage and move any of the upper cams, such shook is discharged from the machine as non-usable, or too narrow for use.

The purpose of the sorting done by this machine is to segregate the like widths of shocks, so that the assembler of a box may quickly select, from the proper bins, the two mating sizes of shooks which will total a width equal to the depth of the box to be made. These mating sizes, are then'passed through a resawing machine which will trim the edge of one of the shooks so that the total width of the two shocks will be the proper one for the box.

While I have shown two supports 10, and three of the shook holding and sorting ejecting devices, it will be understood that the number may be increased to the extent desired, to accomplish the desired result within the limits of the space wherein the machine is located. The number of the above elements shown in the drawings is for purpose of illustration only.

The rails 12 and 14 are supported on the vertical slidable toothed racks 43, said racks being mounted on the uprights or supports 10. Properly mounted on the uprights or supports 10, and extending longitudinally of the machine, is a shaft til having toothed wheels 45 engaging the said racks, and having a hand wheel 16 on one end, whereby to elevate or lower the rails 12 and 14, in accordance with the widths of the shooks to be sorted. These racks 13 are formed with longitudinal slots 43, and the teeth formed on one wall of the slot, the shaft lllextending through said slot.

Slidably adjustable on the rear face of the vertical wing of each ofthe rails 11 and 13, adjacent an end of each of the slots 29, thereof, is a plate 17 which is arranged to be engaged by the cam member 27, whereby to limit the outward swing under the influence of the shook.

What is claimed is:

1. A sorting machine including a carrier, a support for articles moved by the carrier, means for holding vertically adjustable articles engaged with the carrier, article actuated means,A and, kickers associated. with the arti cle, actuatedy means, lfon i actuation upon an` article uponactuation of the lattenby y an article. 1

ried ,by and. actuated Y by :the rocker.

3. A sorting machine includingl a carrier, a -rocker,article actuatedgmeans onthe rocker,l and a. kicker =on .the rocker.

ANA sorting machinefincludinga carrier, a rock shaft, article actuated meaIlS @H1119 ishaft ,and a ,kicker xon the ,-shaft.

5. A sorting machine including a carrier, a rock shaft, article operated means on the shaft for rocking the latter, a kicker on the shaft, and means for yieldably maintaining the rocker in normal position.

6. A sorting machine including a carrier, a rock shaft, means on the shaft having a nose normally in the path of an article on the carrier for rocking the shaft, and a kicker carried by and movable with the shaft.

7 A sorting machine including a carrier, rock shafts, an article actuated means on each shaft, each of said means being in a different plane from that of the other means in regular progression, a kicker on each shaft, and means for yieldably maintaining the shafts vin normal position.

8. A sorting machine including a carrier, means for holding articles in engagement with the carrier, means for ejecting from the carrier articles of predetermined sizes prior to engagement with succeeding holding means.

9. A sorting machine including a carrier, a support for articles moved by the carrier, means for holding articles engaged with the carrier, means for holding articles engaged with the support, and means for ejecting from the carrier articles of predetermined sizes prior to engagement thereof with a succeeding first-named holding means.

10. A sort-ing machine including an endless carrier having its laps superimposed, supports for articles adjacent each lap of the carrier, ejecting means adjacent each lap of the carrier, and means for transferring articles from the lower to the upper lap of the carrier which have passed the ejecting means adjacent the lower lap.

11. A sorting machine including an endless carrier having its laps superimposed, ej ecting means adjacent the laps, article supports adjacent the laps, and means at one end of the machine for gripping articles from the lower lap which have passed the ejecting means of the lower lap and transferring the same to the upper lap.

12. A sorting machine including an endless carrier having its laps superimposed, means adjacent the laps actuated by articles of j nedeterniined heights, kickers operated by said means for ojecting articles which engage said first means, article supports adjacent the carrier laps, and resilient gripping means for transferring articles from the lower support to the upper support.

13. A sorting machine including a carrier, :t rock shaft, article opeated means on the shaft for rockingr the latter, a kicker on the shaft, and means for restoring the kicker to normal position after each operation thereof.

lll. In a sortingr machine, the combination with a carrier, of a Wall adjacent the carrier, a rock shaft adjacent the Wall, an arm on the shaft projecting beyond the Wall in position to be engaged by an article on the carrier, and a second arm on the shaft adapted to be projected beyond the Wall to eject the article from the carrier upon engagement o1' the first arm by the article.

In testimony whereof, We affix our signatures.

JOHN N. BRATTON. VALTER N. BRYANT. 

